S8_11-15-04

• Basin: Statewide
• Title: SWSI Phase 1 Report - Section 8 Options for Meeting Future Water Needs
• Date: 11/15/2004
• Author: CWCB
• SWSI - Doc Type: Final Report

Section 8
Options for Meeting Future Water Needs
of mountain meadow hay fields often result in delayed
return flows of high quality, cold water, supporting
aquatic habitat in the late fall and winter months.
^ There is a potential impact on groundwater tables and
wells in the area unless historical returns are made in
the exact location. Many domestic and irrigation wells
are kept viable by the return flows from irrigation.
8.2.2.2 Interruptible Agricultural Transfers
Interruptible agricultural transfers consist of temporary
arrangements where agricultural water rights can be
used for other purposes. The agreement with agricultural
users allows for the temporary cessation of irrigation so
that the water can be used to meet other needs.
Interruptible agricultural transfers offer several benefits:
^ A permanent transfer of agricultural water rights may
not be needed, avoiding some of the negative impacts
of a permanent dry up of agricultural lands.
^ Interruptible agreements are useful during below
average runoff conditions, when the available
supplies to meet M&I, environmental, or recreational
needs are reduced. The need to construct significant
volumes of new storage to carry over water from
average to above average runoff years for use in
below average years can be minimized.
^ Since agricultural water rights are often more senior,
the temporary transfer of this water to other uses can
result in meeting an M&I, environmental, or
recreational need during critical dry periods without
the expense and issues of a permanent agricultural
transfer or the development of storage or an
expensive new water supply project.
^ A better or more stable income to agricultural users
can be assured, since during a drought supplies may
not be adequate to produce a crop, even if the
agricultural water right were used for irrigation and the
net income from an interruptible arrangement can
exceed the revenue that would be realized from
farming that year.
There are numerous potential issues and conflicts with
interruptible transfers that may limit the usefulness of this
option as a tool for meeting future water needs:
^ One premise of an interruptible supply arrangement is
that the agricultural water right will remain in irrigation
in perpetuity. An interruptible arrangement will be of
very limited benefit to meet long-range water supply
needs unless the interruptible supply arrangement is
permanent and the farmer is bound to keep the water
in agricultural use.
^ Interruptible agreements must be evaluated on a case
by case basis, as not all agricultural rights can be
transferred to M&I water use. For example,
interruptible transfers are very limited in the Denver
Metro and South Metro subbasins of the South Platte,
where there is very little agricultural water use that
can be interrupted on an annual basis and transferred
to existing M&I intakes.
^ The agricultural rights involved in the interruptible
transfer must have dry year yields. Many agricultural
water users also experience significant shortages
during below average runoff conditions and these
supplies may be of little benefit in a dry year.
^ The determination of the transferable amount can be
complicated; as in a water transfer the rights of those
other water users must be protected. There must be a
mechanism to ensure that the transfer does not result
in an increase of historical CU and return flows are
maintained during the temporary interruption.
CRS 37-9-309 allows the State Engineer to approve
and administer interruptible transfers under certain
conditions. Otherwise a change of water right will be
required.
^ Soil, weed, labor, and equipment management issues
must be considered during those periods when the
interruptible transfer is occurring and there is no
irrigation. A farm operation involves not only the
planting, irrigating, and harvesting of crops, but the
hiring of labor and maintenance of equipment. In
addition, the management of soil erosion and weed
growth will be issues on irrigated fields that are
temporarily dried up.
^ Some agricultural crops, such as orchards, vineyards,
and some hay crops are difficult to fallow and may not
be appropriate for an interruptible transfer.
8.2.2.3 Rotating Agricultural Transfers with
Storage to Firm Agricultural Demands
A third concept was developed during the Basin
Roundtable process in an attempt to capture the benefits
of a permanent agricultural transfer without the negative
impacts. This concept, rotating agricultural transfers with
storage to firm agricultural supply consists of a type of
interruptible agricultural transfer arrangement involving
several agricultural parties and one or more M&I users.
Each agricultural user would agree not to irrigate for
1 year out of a set period of years corresponding to the
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